what he knows you ain't had time to learn
by midnightluck
Summary: For all Ace's issues, he's still more willing to trust than Sabo ever was. A snapshot of Sabo and Ace, and the Whitebeard pirates.


_Someone wanted possessive sabo? idk yall I just write what tumblr asks. Do you guys like the one shots like this or should I just make a single story post to dump the ficlets in?_

* * *

"I don't like them," Sabo says.

"You don't need to," Ace says, rolling his eyes. "I'm the one who needs to like them, and I do, Sabo."

Sabo sets his jaw. "I don't _like_ them," he repeats.

"Okay," Ace says patiently, because sometimes patience is the only way to get anywhere with Sabo. "Why don't you like them?"

Sabo says nothing, and Ace sighs and starts counting off points. "I spent over a hundred days trying to kill Pops and he's not dead. He knows my name, my full name, and all he did was laugh. Everyone on the crew is really nice and welcoming. Thatch makes sure I get enough to eat. Haruta recommends good books to me. James is teaching me how to weave a hammock. Marco's teaching me how to manage supplies and handle people. Pops said he's grooming me for a role as a Division Commander. They're a family, Sabo, and the biggest on the seas." And then he swallows his pride because making sure Sabo gets this is more important. "If they can't protect me, no one can."

Sabo's eyes narrow and he visibly bites back on something.

"Look," Ace says, standing up and pacing. "You don't like them, I get it. But you're not here, Sabo. You come to visit but your life is out there! Like it should be!"

"But–!" Sabo says, then stops.

"Why don't you like them, really?" Ace asks. "It's not them, it's not their reputation; I'm the one putting them in danger, honestly, so it's not that."

"I don't like them," Sabo says, lacing his fingers together. He pauses a moment, then adds, "It's nothing personal–"

"Sure feels personal."

"–I wouldn't like anyone you sailed with."

"What." Ace stops and turns to stare at him. "That's–what? That's unfair."

Sabo shrugs. "Never said it was fair. Just said I didn't like it."

Ace steps closer, close enough to rest his hands on Sabo's shoulders, and Sabo looks up at him. "Sabo," he says quietly. "You're my brother, and you'll always be one of the most important people in my life. But I'm happy here, you know? I like it here, with them. I feel like I can belong."

Sabo gazes back steadily. "I know," he says. "I'll never ask you to leave, without good reason. You know I'm happy to see you happy. You know that, right? I never thought you'd get this far, honestly."

Ace drops his hands and snorts. "Your faith in me is overwhelming–"

"No, _listen_. I know I'm not around," and he makes a face that gets Ace to shut up and pay attention, "but the fact that you trust these people–it's not nothing, and I will always be grateful to them for it."

"Then what's the problem?" Ace asks, throwing out his arms. "If it's not the people and it's not the crew, why don't you like them?"

Sabo smiles like he's hurting when he says, "It doesn't matter," and yeah, no, that's not gonna fly.

"It obviously does matter, if you're gonna be like this about it!"

Sabo gets up as well, turning and taking a step away. ""It's fine, Ace–"

Ace grabs his wrist and jerks him back. "What's your problem?" he bites out, and Sabo turns, yanking free.

"That's the thing," Sabo says, calm and measured, but his breathing is fast. "It's _my_ problem, and it shouldn't affect you–"

"If it's affecting you, it affects me, Sabo, you know that–"

"I'm telling you, it's not important–

"It obviously is–"

"It's _you_ , okay? It's you!"

Ace takes a step back. He blinks, closes his mouth, and then opens it again. He tries to say what but he doesn't need to; Sabo starts pacing with his ranting.

"It's you, Ace. It's always been you. You're out here, following your dream and finding a family that makes you happy, and, and trusting people! And _I'm not here_ , Ace. I'm off fighting, and it's important–of course it's important, but you have a life now, and I can't be a part of it! And they can!" He's gesticulating wildly, but here he stops and turns on Ace. "They get to protect you, and they get to see you every day and share their lives with you and I'm off in a different Blue every week!

"The problem," Sabo enunciates, "is not with them. It's not with you. I just–" he spreads his hands. "I miss you, you know? And I know you can't replace me, I know that, but–"

And Ace hears what he doesn't say, because Sabo's silences have always spoken louder than his words. "I'm–" Ace says, and has to stop to swallow. "I'm not trying to. To replace you, I mean."

"I know," Sabo says, and sits back down, but his back bends and his head hangs a bit more than earlier. "I know, Ace, and I–it's just." He stops to breathe, and then finally looks up and meets Ace's eyes. "I'm sorry," he says.

And if he's saying it, then he really, truly is. "Hey," Ace says, and steps forward to sink down on the ground in front of him. "Hey, you know it's not like that."

"I know," Sabo agrees. "I know that here," he says, touching his head, "but–"

Ace catches his hand before he can finish. "You're more important to me than my own life, Sabo. You know that, right?"

Sabo lets out a sound that would be a laugh if it were any less ragged. "Of course I know, Ace. That's what worries me."

Ace sits back on his heels. He's at a loss for words, and all he can think to say is, "How can I fix this?"

Sabo closes his eyes for a moment, just one, but it's enough that when he drapes his arms over Ace's shoulders, Ace leans in for a hug. A pointy chin digs into the top of his head and the gloved hands squeeze a little too hard, but he doesn't mention it or draw back. "Don't worry about it," Sabo says, like Ace will ever not worry about him. Sabo must realize this too, because he huffs and follows up with, "Just–remember me, Ace. Don't ever replace me, okay?"

"I couldn't," Ace says, swears. "I could never replace you, Sabo. You're my brother."

Sabo holds him tight for another moment, then lets him go. "So's Luffy," he says, and if his eyes are shiny, his voice is even.

"Luffy doesn't need me anymore," Ace says. "You do."

There's only one obvious reply to that, and Ace watches Sabo visibly choose to not make it. Instead he obviously decides that's enough of that; his head tilts to just the angle that says trouble, and he says, "Oh, I do, do I?", reaching out to flick Ace's forehead.

Ace squawks and falls over backwards. "Hey!" he says, scrambling up to his feet. "Hey, no fair! I thought we were talking!"

" _You_ were talking," Sabo says, getting up again. He at least has the decency to offer Ace a hand up.

Ace takes it and very barely resists the urge to surge up with a reaping sweep and dump Sabo on the ground too. Instead he gets up and checks his hat is still in place. "That was uncalled for," he says with all the dignity he can muster.

"Your face is uncalled for," Sabo says back, and then laughs and ducks away from Ace's telegraphed punch, scrambling out the door.

"Get back here!" Ace yells, taking off after Sabo, who laughs more and slides around the corner. He almost yells _you're the worst_ out of habit, but bites it back today. Instead he just howls, "Sabo!"

Sabo hits the main deck and grabs a passing crewman. "Hide me!" he says, turning the guy around to face Ace.

"Uh," the crewman Allen says. Ace ignores him and jumps, aiming to come down right behind him. Sabo ditches Allen and takes off again, dodging through the crew and weaving around people.

"Sabo!" he yells, pushing past Hireki and Jaque. "Guys! Catch him!"

"Nu-huh," someone mutters as he passes, and someone else shouts out, "Not getting in the middle of that!"

"Thanks, guys!" Sabo shouts, then skids to a stop behind Marco. "Hey, hide me!"

Marco steps to the side, but Sabo follows and Ace doesn't quite stop in time. The three of them go crashing down, and Marco rolls out of the way just as Ace catches hold of Sabo.

"Traitor!" Sabo yells just before Ace rubs his face into the deck.

Marco stands up and straightens his clothes. "I'm loyal to my own, yoi," he says, and walks off.

Sabo goes still under him, and Ace rolls off and sits down to the side. "You okay?" he says, because usually Sabo's bitten him by now.

Sabo sits up too, collar askew and one glove half off. He doesn't fix it, though; instead he stares after Marco. "Loyal to his own, huh?" he says, and then absently tugs his glove back on.

Ace looks between Marco's back and Sabo. "Yeah," he says. "The crew's good about that."

Sabo hums, then gets up with a graceful little hopping maneuver. "Are they all like that?" he asks, and Ace nods. Sabo makes a little "huh" noise, then looks over at Ace, still sitting, and tugs his collar straight. "You gonna lay there all day?"

Ace sticks out his tongue but gets up, too. He follows Sabo over to the railing where his tiny one-man schooner is tied up. "Leaving already?"

Sabo sighs, then turns to him. "You know I don't want to," he says.

Ace nods and says, "You know you're irreplaceable, right?"

Sabo blinks at him, then looks away. "You know," he says, eyes tracking over the number of people on deck watching him suspiciously, "if it's them…."

He trails off, and Ace prompts him with, "Then what?"

"Never mind," Sabo says, then hops the rail. "Hey, I'll see you next time, okay?"

"Don't be a stranger," Ace says, leaning his forearms on the railing.

Sabo slides down the rope and hits the deck, then looks back up. He doesn't say anything, but what he means is clear in the way his mouth is tight and his brows are drawn in.

"I _meant_ come back soon!" Ace yells, and throws the rope at his face. "C'mon, Sabo! It's a turn of phrase! Not everything is about you!"

The coil of rope slaps Sabo across the face and he flails as he falls over. "Ace!" he yells, and Ace just points and laughs because he deserves it, he really does.

"If you don't like it," Ace says, once he's done laughing, "come back and get even."

"Oh, I will," Sabo says, pointing up at him. "I'll be coming back just to kick your butt all the way across this deck."

"You're welcome to try anytime," Ace says, grinning at him. "Hey, bring a pipe! It'll be fun!"

"Just like old times," Sabo agrees, and pushes away from the Moby Dick. "I'll bring a couple when I come back." He's almost too far away to hear, and he tugs at the sails, gets the schooner pointed in the right direction, and waves once over his shoulder.

And then he's gone, sailing away into the distance. Ace stands there and watches until the horizon is empty again. It's hard, being apart like this, but maybe next time they meet up, they can go visit Luffy. He gets the feeling that some brotherly bonding time would do them all a world of good.

Besides, Luffy may not need him like Sabo does, but he still needs looking after sometimes, and Sabo could do with the reminder that his world revolves around more than just Ace.


End file.
